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Topic Review (Newest First)

11-13-2013 02:21 AM

jonnyboy

All you guys helped me out alot on this thread. I truly appreciate it. Literally had no idea what I was getting into...and now I'm hooked. In the process of doing a rebuild and figured I would share the link to the journal. Hopefully I do things better this time haha

So you're sayin I should stick with 1/4 tsp instead of upping to a 1/2 tsp? It would coincide with what Django said about keeping low dosages I suppose. And why KH2PO4? How does it benefit the plants?

Does anyone have a link that would explain how plants utilize each fert? Or rather, the effect of the ferts on the plants directly?

06-26-2013 12:56 AM

jonnyboy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quick5ilver

I'd like to advise u to use finer gravel as because u are having plants that grow complex root systems. The coarse gravel will damage their roots.

I have been wanting to do that actually. I wasn't planning on a planted tank when I initially set it up, and jumped into the plant aspect with a little too much excitement lol. Gonna get my 5.5 set up so the fish I hav will have a place to live while I rescape this one.

06-26-2013 12:54 AM

jonnyboy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Django

Using only one macronutrient or too high a level of macronutrients/micronutrients is an invitation to all kinds of algae to start growing, given sufficient light if I'm not mistaken. If you don't have light and CO2 at the level that the amount of ferts is enough for, the extra won't be doing you any good. Most low light low tech tanks don't use additional ferts. CO2 is a little better, glad you have a good steady level. Replace it before it runs out - unstability in CO2 is also a big invitation to algae.

Low doses, because you're not high light and compressed CO2, are all that is needed for maximum plant growth even if your 20 is packed full of well-growing plants. And I'm glad to share whatever I have picked up in the last 14 months.

Again, thank you very much! I know the risks now, and have been paying extra attention to fish health, tank parameters, and algae growth. So far no change! The plants on the other hand are actually growing and looking healthier. This could be coincidence of course....
I change one bottle every week. So one bottle will run for two weeks total and then be replenished. Works for me.
And I'm gonna try lowering the dosage a little. See what happens. 'You are a scholar and a gentleman'

06-25-2013 12:42 PM

shambhalove.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnyboy

It's a 20gal. I dosed a 1/4 tsp last night and my nitrates are still the same. I'll wait tonight and dose a 1/2 tsp tomorrow

Do not rely on your test kit to give you accurate results. Adding 1/4 tsp of KNO3 to 20 gallons of water will put the nitrates right around 10 ppm. Which is right where you want to be.

I'd like to advise u to use finer gravel as because u are having plants that grow complex root systems. The coarse gravel will damage their roots.

06-25-2013 04:37 AM

Django

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnyboy

It's a 20gal. I dosed a 1/4 tsp last night and my nitrates are still the same. I'll wait tonight and dose a 1/2 tsp tomorrow, which is what the graph gave me, but I just wanted to be safe. And I already dose Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium and trace elements. I also dose an API product which has iron and potassium sulfate. It was the only iron product I could get at my LFS....very slim pickings. As far as Co2 goes, my DIY makes 1/2 bubble per second at a surprisingly steady pace.
I appreciate you helping me out though! We will see how this goes I guess...

Oh and why low doses? I do weekly water changes, and have read it's not bad to have too many nutrients in the water....but there are so many conflicting arguments out there! Just curious what your reasoning is

Using only one macronutrient or too high a level of macronutrients/micronutrients is an invitation to all kinds of algae to start growing, given sufficient light if I'm not mistaken. If you don't have light and CO2 at the level that the amount of ferts is enough for, the extra won't be doing you any good. Most low light low tech tanks don't use additional ferts. CO2 is a little better, glad you have a good steady level. Replace it before it runs out - unstability in CO2 is also a big invitation to algae.

Low doses, because you're not high light and compressed CO2, are all that is needed for maximum plant growth even if your 20 is packed full of well-growing plants. And I'm glad to share whatever I have picked up in the last 14 months.

06-25-2013 03:30 AM

jonnyboy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hilde

I have read many post that when people do EI dosing they are dosing excess nutrients. Thus they do weekly water changes.

I dose minimum for I only do water changes monthly. For doing a version of El Natural set up. For I want a low maintenance tank.

Gotcha. I'm still doing weekly water changes in an attempt to get rid of the algae completely....if that's possible, and with my new UV sterilizer hopefully tht will help too! But in the meantime I will try to figure out a balance for dosing. So kinda works out for me

06-25-2013 01:57 AM

Hilde

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnyboy

Oh and why low doses? I do weekly water changes, and have read it's not bad to have too many nutrients in the water.

I have read many post that when people do EI dosing they are dosing excess nutrients. Thus they do weekly water changes.

I dose minimum for I only do water changes monthly. For doing a version of El Natural set up. For I want a low maintenance tank.

06-24-2013 11:37 PM

jonnyboy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Django

So far the consensus of what I've read is less than 20 parts per million, can go up to 30 ppm sometimes. I forgot what size your tank is. If it's small, you don't need to dose Nitrates or Potassium and shouldn't. I don't with my 10g. Someone who wanted to embark on that journey with a small tank would have to use Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium and trace elements, and use them all, in the correct proportions, very small doses. I wouldn't advise it. It's for high light and pressurized CO2.

It's a 20gal. I dosed a 1/4 tsp last night and my nitrates are still the same. I'll wait tonight and dose a 1/2 tsp tomorrow, which is what the graph gave me, but I just wanted to be safe. And I already dose Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium and trace elements. I also dose an API product which has iron and potassium sulfate. It was the only iron product I could get at my LFS....very slim pickings. As far as Co2 goes, my DIY makes 1/2 bubble per second at a surprisingly steady pace.
I appreciate you helping me out though! We will see how this goes I guess...

Oh and why low doses? I do weekly water changes, and have read it's not bad to have too many nutrients in the water....but there are so many conflicting arguments out there! Just curious what your reasoning is

06-24-2013 12:08 PM

Django

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnyboy

So what's a good range for me to aim for with my nitrates? I wanna start dosing the KNO3, but would like some reassurance. My nitrates are 0-5ppm right now, ammonia and nitrites are almost non exhistant. I was thinkin somewhere around 10-15 and see what happens? Test every other day and see how the plants and fish are reacting

So far the consensus of what I've read is less than 20 parts per million, can go up to 30 ppm sometimes. I forgot what size your tank is. If it's small, you don't need to dose Nitrates or Potassium and shouldn't. I don't with my 10g. Someone who wanted to embark on that journey with a small tank would have to use Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium and trace elements, and use them all, in the correct proportions, very small doses. I wouldn't advise it. It's for high light and pressurized CO2.

06-24-2013 01:59 AM

jonnyboy

So what's a good range for me to aim for with my nitrates? I wanna start dosing the KNO3, but would like some reassurance. My nitrates are 0-5ppm right now, ammonia and nitrites are almost non exhistant. I was thinkin somewhere around 10-15 and see what happens? Test every other day and see how the plants and fish are reacting

06-23-2013 12:26 AM

jonnyboy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hilde

Some plecos stay small. The bristlenose pleco does not get real big

I had one for a while. Brought him back cuz he was damaging new plants that hadn't rooted yet. Oto cats that I have are too picky of eaters though imo. I need something that's gonna eat about anything. A friend actually almost got me a royal pleco....don't know why he didn't lol

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